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This interview is excerpted from Scott Horton’s January 7th guest host appearance on KPFK‘s Daily Briefing radio show. The full show is here.

Internationally syndicated columnist Eric Margolis discusses the infighting between intelligence agencies trying to deflect blame for the Detroit “underbomber,” the inordinate number of innocent civilians killed in predator drone missile strikes, the resonance of Osama bin Laden’s message with opponents of US imperialism and why the US would be wise to remember the phrase “He who defends everything defends nothing.”

Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles appear in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Times of London, the Gulf Times, the Khaleej Times and Dawn. He is a regular columnist with the Quebecor Media Company and a contributor to The Huffington Post. He appears as an expert on foreign affairs on CNN, BBC, France 2, France 24, Fox News, CTV and CBC.

As a war correspondent Margolis has covered conflicts in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Sinai, Afghanistan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, El Salvador and Nicaragua. He was among the first journalists to ever interview Libya’s Muammar Khadaffi and was among the first to be allowed access to KGB headquarters in Moscow. A veteran of many conflicts in the Middle East, Margolis recently was featured in a special appearance on Britain’s Sky News TV as “the man who got it right” in his predictions about the dangerous risks and entanglements the US would face in Iraq.

Eric Margolis says the French are "insubordinate", but how can he make this claim? Is he aware that Sarkozy – the Parisian neo-con- just brought the French military under NATO control and sent troops to Afghanistan? He also appointed Pro-American interventionist Bernard Kouchner as Foreign minister.

Margolis also claims that "we supervised ethnic cleansing in Iraq" whereas "we intervened to stop ethnic cleansing" in the Balkans". Was that really the reason we went to war in the Balkans?

It would be great to hear Victor Thorn interviewedl. He has last week, written at some length about involvement of Mossad in the accused attempt to set off a bomb on the plane to Detroit on Christmas Day. Thanks.

I am responding to the headline; Empire Knows NO Limits, which is patently TRUE, and Empire Building is still going on for BLOODYISRAEL. Rahmie, the ZIONISTWHORE, Biden, Chertoff, LIEberman, …………all the $$$$$$$ people, and stinkingly we know who they are on WALLSTREETBANKSTERS!!!!!!! O-bought-ma is bought by these 'people'?, and Rahmie is the keeper of the Resident who is BOOOOOOOSHE's third term.

Let’s not oversimplifly. Absolutely, many of the current conflicts have been urged on (if not instigated) by prominent Israelis and their North American kindred. And indeed, if you look at both of the mainstream parties in the US, they are thoroughly captured by a particular ethnic group.

However, let’s not be overly reductionist about this. There are other interests at stake. Oil, military-industrial, etc. The unfortunate thing is that they seem to have common cause on the empire front, while joe public hasn’t caught on.

I am responding to the headline; Empire Knows NO Limits, which is patently TRUE, and Empire Building is still going on for BLOODYISRAEL. Rahmie, the ZIONISTWHORE, Biden, Chertoff, LIEberman, …………all the $$$$$$$ people, and stinkingly we know who they are on WALLSTREETBANKSTERS!!!!!!! O-bought-ma is bought by these 'people'?, and Rahmie is the keeper of the Resident who is BOOOOOOOSHE's third term.

Look to the Mossad and the Zionist in the White House for who is controlling whom. I remember the attack on the U.S.S Liberty in 1967 by the Israeli S—ts. Only can hope that a certain country will nuke them.

Yes, Jim there are lots of other 'interests' being served here, of course I know that, but when you do simpiify the mess, it does boil down to this particular ethnic group's many tentacles, 'understandings' , formal agreements, etc. The 1%ers look around for investment that will return $$$$$$, that's the ZIONIST EMPIRE GROWNING.

I'm with you Eddie, never forget for a moment that this little squirley group sabatoges the USofBLOODYISRAEL. Liberty was only one instance, lets' see the UN headquarters in Gaza………………the recent aid convoy,

Fully support Marina'a observation. Eric Margolis is still captive of the "good" and "bad" imperial missions, the imaginary confrontation of "republicans" vs. "democrats', and other illusions.

Sarkozy represents the win of neocons in France, and once they took the reigns of power, France was quickly and quietly integrated into the Empire. French may be insubordinate, if that means that they are free thinkers, and will not go along easily with propaganda. True. The lesson of France is the follows: once one clique takes power, may be hard to dislodge it.

Margolis was speaking from the perspective of a right-wing nutjob when he called the French "insubordinate." He was just saying that the reason the French are hated among "conservatives" is because they don't sit and roll over on command.

But maybe that's all changed, as you point out, in which case Hannity and friends can maybe go back to eating french fries and drinking French wine.